Planetary gear mechanism



Dec. 8, 1931. I E WHITON 1,835,194

PLANETARY GEAR MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 8, 1931. E. WHITON PLANETARY GEAR MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 NITED:STATES PAT N OFFICE Lucius n. wan s, or NEWILONDOIN, oonnnomiou r e QPLANETARY GEAR, irEcHAnIsM Original application filed January 11-, 192?, Serial No: 160,447; Divided. and 'this application filed April 7 My invention relates particularly todifie ential mechanism intended. for relatlvely moving two members whlle in mot on.

. One object is to proyidecompact andre 5 liable echanis m-for movingtwq spindles longitudinally. I 1 'j' A, 1 Anotherobject is to provideself equaliz ing pressure means for such apparatus.

. Another object is to provide means for 1 relatively movingtwo concentric tubes.

Ths application: isa division of my applicationSer, No. 160,447 filed Jan. 11, 1927, now Patent No. 1,713,804 granted May 21, 1929,. wherethe mechanism is shown as ap .15 plied to lathechucks. y 1 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of r the partsinvolving my present invention.

Fig. 2 'is an end view and fragmentary section showing details of the mechanism.

Fig.3 is a side view and partial section showing the invention asapplied to a lathe ,chuckfor adjusting the jaws while the chuck is rotating. This will be described as one application of the invention 25 The main spindle 5 ;is provided with an extension 5 and supported in a housing or 2 head stock 6 and provided with a suitable detachable chuck 7.;1The two spindles 8 and 9 are tubular and telescopically mountecl in the main spindle. The chuck has a pair of jaws 1O adapted tobe actuated by the racks .11 on tube 8 and toggle rockers 12. Another pair, of jawslB is similarly actuated from tube 9, by means of the racks 1 1.

The headstock 6 which supports the main spindle 5 may be of any suitable construction, depending largely upon the means provided for, driving the spindle and chuck. Preferably, an extension frame is provided for housing the diiierential gear mechanism by which the concentric' spindle tubes 8 and 9 are operated. This housing extension is preterably detachablysecured to the mainhousing, for instance, by means ofbolts or screws 16 so as to facilitatemanufacture, assembly and separation of the parts. v Preferably, the main spindle 5 is provided with anextension 5 which is screwed on to the rearend of the main part The tubular 59 memberj8 is provided witha screw thread 17,

s. 1929. 'Serial No. 353-,367."

on the threaded portion of the actuate --ing sleeve member '18 is mountedg The extension fj is provided-with a flange 19 adjacentthe webportion 20 of the sleeve, mem- .Theotheritubular 9 is also pro vided with a screw thread 21 on which the internallythreadedlsleeve 22 fits. The threads on the two tubesS and 9,, however, are reversely, directed for the purposewhich' will herein after be understood. The sleeve member 22 isprovidedwith a fiange23' adjacent the web '20 of the sleeve member 18. Segmental rings 24pand 25' are provided which are secured to the web member 20 by. means of bolts or screws 26. Suitable packing such as27 may be provided on opposite sides of the flanges l9 and 23 to take up the longitudinal thrust when the parts arein operation. l

On the sleeve 22 is concentrically mounted another ring or sleeve 28 with teeth 29, forminga spur gear. Another ring or sleeve 30 is concentrically mounted on. ring 28 and provided with teeth 31 forming a spur gear similar to gear 29.

Concentric with and surrounding the spur gears are two annulargears32 and 33. Between the spur gears and annular gears are mounted a series of pairs of pinions 34 and 35, each pair being mounted on a short stud 0r shaft 36 soth'atthe ,pinions ofa pair can rocon mon shaft, but so that 'each pair can have a planetary movement about the axis ofthe spindles.

.tatei independently"of each other on their T extensionor housing and i'siheldto the frame 15, by screws 38. Thesleeve member 22 is provided; with a web or disc-like portion 39 opposite the corresponding wall 40 of the cap member 37 so that the pairs of planetary pin- ,ions and their. stud shafts are supported between the plate or disc members 39 and 40 without requiring any additional support.

The annular gear member 33, is pivoted with an extension flange having teeth. 41

whichali'ord a clutch engagement withwsim-ilar teeth on the outer edgeof an extension e2friom the web20 of the sleeve'member 18 so that the annular gear member 33 and the sleeve member 18 will always rotate or stand still together.

The annular gear ring 32 also has clutch teeth 43 engaging with corresponding teeth on the outer edge of disc or web 39 of sleeve 22.

The sleeve or gear ring 30 is keyed at 4A to the cap 37 of the housing so that the gear member 31 is always stationary.

An operating member such as a gear wheel 45 is keyed at 4.6 to the sleeve or gear rmg 28. This gear wheel 45 may be held in place by a nut 47. The gear wheel 45 may be conveniently rotated in any manner, as for instance, by means of a pinion 45', which may be supported in the lug 46 or other bearing on the frame extension.

In the operation of the chuck, the spindle 5 is'driven in any suitable manner as is usual. It will be understood, of course, that the spur gear ring 31 is held stationary by the cap 37 of the extension housing or frame- During the normal working operation, the gear wheel 15 is'also stationary, so that the sleeve 28 and its gear teeth 29 remain stationary alongside of teeth 31.

The rotation of the spindle 5 and the chuck body 7 carries with it the rack members 11 and 14 and the tubular spindle members 8 and 9, to which the rack members are respectively secured.

The pressure of the jaws 10 against the stock which is held by them is transmitted from the toggle or rocker levers 12, etc., the racks 11 and 14 and the tubes 8 and 9 to the screw sleeves l8 and 22 respectively, so that these sleeve members rotate with the chuck body and spindles and the annular gear members 33 and 32 are rotated accordingly.

The pairs of planetary pinions 35 and 34 are accordingly normally driven idly around the stationary spur gears 31 and 29. When it is desired to adjust the jaw members inwardly and outwardly, thegear wheel 45 is rotated in one direction or the other, as the case may be by any suitable means, so as to correspondingly rotate the sleeve 28 which is keyed to it and the spur gear 29 which is formed on the end of the sleeve 28. The rotation of the spur gear 29 with respect to the stationary gear 31 causes the pinions 34 to rotate with respect to their companions 35 so as to compel the annular gear member 32 to rotate with respect to the annular gear member 33. This produces a relative rotation of the sleeve member 22 with respect to the sleeve member 18 and the corresponding longitudinal movement of the tube 9 with respect to the tube 8. When the rack members 11 have moved as far as the parts will permit, the movement of the tube 9 longitudinally will necessarily cease, whereupon the sleeve 22 ceases to rotate and the pressure of the planetary transmitted thru pinions will thereupon be the annular gear member' 33 to the flange 42 of the sleeve 18 and thereby move the tubular spindle 8 in the same direction as the tube 9 has just been moving. It will be obvious that the direction of the movement above described will be controlled by the direction of rotation of the gear wheel 45 so that the pressure applied to the jaw members will be equalized when moving inwardly or outwardly even though the article which is being gripped by the j aw members is considerably larger in one direction than it is in the plane at right angles thereto.

To take the differential gear mechanism apart the nut 47 may be removed, then the gear wheel 15, then the screws 38 and cap 37, then the sleeve and gear rings 28 and 30, then the pinions 35 and 34, and then the annular gear rings 33 and 32.

The screws 26 may then be retracted through openings in the web 39. Then the sleeve 22 may be unscrewed from the tube 9. The sleeve 18 may then be unscrewed from the tube 8. The extension 5' may then be unscrewed from the lathe spindle 5 if desired. It will be understood, also, that the chuck body may be removed from the spindle in the usual way and that the tubes 8 and 9 may be unscrewed from the sleeves 22 and 18 and removed from the left-hand end of the headstock.

Although I have described a highly desirable combination of reversible dillerential driving mechanism and chuck jaw operating means, it should be understood that the reversible difi erential adjusting mechanism might be connected or geared to the jaw members in other ways. So, also, I desire that it be understood that although it is desirable that the inner member 9 be hollow or tubular in order to permit stock or tools to be adjusted through the center of the chuck, this inner member might be solid where such central feed is not desired or necessary.

Although I have shown and described, the invention as applied to the actuation of a lathe chuck, it should be understood that I broadly claim the diflerential mechanism and and mechanical movement herein for general use having claimed the invention as applied to achuck in my application 160,447 filed Jan. 11, 1927.

I claim:

1. Operating mechanism comprising a hollow main spindle, two concentric spindles mounted therein and movable with respect to each other, and differential equalizing means for moving said concentric spindles longitudinally at different times with respect to'the main spindle.

2. Mechanism of the character described including a main spindle, an extension screwed on to the end thereof and having a flange, a guide frame for said spindle extension, two spindles movable longitudinally with respect to each other Within said main spindle, and diflerential mechanism positioned longitudinally partly by said flange and partly by said guide frame.

3. Apparatus as set forth inclaim 2, having a sleeve in threaded engagement with each of said longitudinally movablespindles and planetary pinions having driving connection with said sleeves. I i

4. Mechanism of the character described including a main spindle, a stationary housing for one endthereof, an inner spindle, a

tube between the two spindles, sleeves having threaded engagements with the inner spindle and the tube, an annular gearconnected to each sleeve, spur gears concentric with said annular gears, a pair of planetary pinions on a common shaft meshing with said spur and annular gears and means for rotating one spur gear with respect to the other;

5. The combination witha rotating main member, of a stationary housing for one end thereof, two rota-table actuatin members in said housing, annular gear memh supported in said stationary housing and haV-' ing clutch engagement with said actuating members, spur gears concentric with said an" nular gear members, a pair of planetary pinions on a common shaft meshing between said spur gears and said annular gear members, one of said spur gears being secured to a part of said housing and means for rotating the other spur gears.

6. Mechanism of the character described including a spindle having an extension connected thereto by a screw thread and having a flange, a housing for said extension, an actuator having a web adjacent the flange on the extension, a second flanged actuator beyond the first actuator and split rings on each side of said web and overstanding the flanges on the extension and on the second actuator respectively. i

7 Mechanism of the character described including a spindle in two parts, a main housing, an extension housing detachably secured to the main housing, two actuators within said housing, planetary diflerential mechanism for operating said actuators, a cap reinovably secured to. said extension housing and connected to one element of said mechanism and means for rotating another element I of said mechanism. V i

8. Mechanism of the character described including a hollow spindle, two rotatable actuators, a housing and a cap supporting said spindle and one of said actuators, a spur gear mounted on the other actuator, a second spur gear connected to said cap, annular gears connected to said actuators and a pair of planetary pinions on a common shaft meshw ing with said spur and annular gears and traveling between said cap and the adjacent actuator. r V I I 9. Mechanism of the character described comprising a rotary spindle, a. supporting a of said spindle during the;

justed.

ers rotatably -port,a plurality ment to :rock said securing :me ans member carried byrsaid spindle, means-for securing a.- member on T saidsupport, and means-for adj usting the latter securing means while the device is in operation including members normally rotatable with said sp ndle and means fortran'sferring said normal rotatable movementto' a movement longitudinal rotation of said parts, whereby the securing means is ad 10. Mechanism of the character described comprising-arotary spindle, a, support :car-

ried-by. said spindle, members; ,rockingly mounted forsecuringa member in the support, atubular member-mounted in said splndle and normally rotatable therew1th,a second tubular membermounted in said sp ndle and normally rotatable therewith, a train or" gearing operatively connected to saidtubular members, said tubularmembers being so (115: posed relatively that operation of said gearing moves one of said tubular members along said spindleacertain distanceand moves the other tubular member longitudinally upon the stoppingof the longitudinal movement of the first tubular member, said-tubular members being adapted to rocksaid rocking mem: bers for adjusting the same. v

11'. Mechanism of the characterdescribed comprising a rotary spindle, a support carried by said spindle, members rockingly mounted for securing a member; on the supof tubular members mounted concentrically with said spindle and normally rotatable' therewith, a sleeve carried by each of said tubular members and normally tively connected to the sleeve of oneoi": said concentric members whereby said sleeve vis ,moved'longitudinally oifsald spindle, and a second train of'gearing operatively connect-V longitudinal movementof said first .mentioned tubular member, said tubular members being adapted upon longitudinal movefor equalizing the pressure thereof on the member held thereby. V I o 12. Mechanism of the character described comprising a rotary spindle, a' support carried by said spindle, members rockingly mounted for securing a member on the support, a tubular member mounted within said spindle, a second tubular member mounted rotatable therewith, a train of gearing operawithin said first mentioned tubular member,

said tubular members being adapted to normally rotate with said spindle, screw threads 7 formed on the exterior of each of said tubular members, internally screw threaded sleeves carried by each of said tubular members, the

screw threads of each of said sleeves being adapted to mesh with the exterior screw threads on its respective tubular member, a

kid

gear operatively connected to one of said sleeves and adapted to move the respective tubular member supportingsaid sleeve along the spindle, and gearing including a series of pinions interposed between said latter sleeve and the sleeve of the other tubular member whereby movement is imparted to said latter tubular member upon the stoppage of the longitudinal movement of the former tubular member.

13. A power transmission including a rotatable member, a support therefor, means for rotating said member and support in unison, a gear for rotating said rotatable member independently of itssupport and said first mentioned means, a second rotatable member, a support'for 'same,-said second rotatable member and'support being adapted to normally rotate in unison, and gearing interposed between said rotatable members whereby said seeondmentioned rotatable member is rotated independently of its support, said gearing including a series of pinions journalled in one of said rotatable members, said rotatable members being so positioned relatively that independent rotation thereof moves said rotatable members longitudinally with relation to each other.

14:. Mechanism of the character described comprising a frame, a rotatingspindle carried thereby, a support carried by said spindle, members rockingly mounted for securing a member on the support, a tubular member mounted within said spindle, a second tubular member mounted Within said first mentioned tubular member, said tubular members being adapted to normally rotate with said spindle, means for rotating each'of said tubular members independent of said spindle, said means including a train of gearing, a series of pinions interposed in said gearing for moving one of said tubular members independently of the other, a flanged plate fixed to said frame, all of said gearing positioned between said plate and frame and housed thereby, and a master gear for actuating said train of gearing.

TiUoIUs WHITON. 

